Separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh were scheduled to put down their weapons on Saturday in accordance with a deal made with the Azerbaijani government after its rapid onslaught.
With the assistance of Russian soldiers, Moscow reported that the rebels had turned in their first set of weapons on Friday. The process is anticipated to last through the weekend.
In the meantime, as concern over the condition of civilians there intensified in the international community, Germany demanded that the rights of those who live in the hilly area be guaranteed.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh has been the focal point of more than three decades of strife between Armenia and Azerbaijan, neighbors in the Caucasus.
Both sides have committed violations throughout the conflict, and a fresh refugee catastrophe is being feared.
Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians in the contested enclave were left without access to electricity and other necessities as a result of this week’s rapid onslaught by Azerbaijani forces.
Azerbaijan’s army were camped outside the main city of Stepanakert, where terrified residents were claimed to be sheltering in their basements, according to a spokeswoman for the breakaway territory on Friday.
Armine Hayrapetyan described the scenario as “horrible”.
Food, water, medication, and fuel were in short supply for the terrified populace, according to an AFP reporter in the separatist stronghold, and displaced individuals had gathered in the city from nearby towns.
International pressure has increased on Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor, the only route that connects to Armenia, so that supplies and people can enter and exit.
